PHNOPM PENH: A leading healthcare NGO has warned that cigarettes are available on the Cambodian market for as little as 1,500 riel (US$0.37) per pack. Cambodia Movement for Health expressed concerns about access among children and young people and the potential health and economic consequences of smoking from an early age.
Citing health experts and tobacco-control research, a Monday (Oct 5) press release from the organisation noted that early tobacco use has been linked to numerous health problems, including impaired brain development and reduced work capacity, potentially affecting the country’s human resource pool.
It urged the government to increase excise taxes on cigarettes, which they believe will raise retail prices and reduce tobacco consumption, particularly among younger consumers. They argue that the measure could increase government tax revenue while reducing tobacco-related illness and premature deaths.
Higher tobacco prices could also affect government spending on healthcare and the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), as tobacco-related diseases account for part of the health burden associated with smoking, it said.
The tobacco industry has previously opposed increases in cigarette excise taxes, arguing that the government should first focus on combating illicit tobacco products. Industry representatives have claimed that illicit cigarettes account for more than 50% of the Cambodian market.
“A study by the Royal Academy of Cambodia produced figures that differ from the industry’s claim. The study found that illicit cigarettes accounted for 15% of the market in 2025, falling to 13.6% in the first half of 2026.
“This was below the average illicit cigarette rate of 16.8% in developing countries, according to a 2009 study by Joossens, Merriman, Ross and Raw, titled ‘How Eliminating the Global Illicit Cigarette Trade Would Increase Tax Revenue and Save Lives’, said the release, adding that no clear relationship between cigarette excise tax rates and the prevalence of illicit cigarettes exists.
According to the NGO, Cambodia has not increased cigarette excise tax rates for about 11 years. During the same period, retail prices for some cigarette brands have increased gradually.
It added that several Asean countries have increased cigarette excise taxes since 2016. The Philippines raised its cigarette excise taxes seven times, while Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam each increased them twice between 2016 and 2025.
“Compared with other Asean countries, Cambodia has one of the lowest overall tax burdens on cigarettes, at just 25% of the retail price, compared with 71% in Singapore and 62% in Brunei, among others. Cambodia also remains well below the WHO’s recommendation that tobacco taxes should account for at least 75% of the retail price,” the release noted.
According to the release, about 15,000 Cambodian people die each year from diseases attributed to tobacco use. It highlighted that people in the lowest-income group account for about 33% of those deaths. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
